Walt Disney World sometimes raises costs as soon as per 12 months, with park tickets and extra going up across the similar time. This publish provides provides particulars of previous admission will increase, once we’re anticipating it to occur in 2024, and our commentary concerning the quantity of value jumps, motivations for the modifications, and extra.
For starters, we must always emphasize the “sometimes” within the sentence above, as costs will increase aren’t a positive factor. Disneyland not too long ago went over a full 12 months and not using a single improve. Granted, that was the year-plus that the parks have been closed…minor element. Extra not too long ago, and in a extra regular setting, Walt Disney World additionally went a full 365+ days with out elevating common admission costs. (Extra on that in a minute.)
The truth is, it’s way more widespread for value will increase to happen twice in a 12 months reasonably than by no means. In 2022, Walt Disney World raised ticket costs twice–in mid-February and early December. That was truly a little bit of a bizarre one, as Walt Disney World made structural modifications and eliminated reservations for single-day tickets and gave three weeks’ discover earlier than implementing the modifications. Nevertheless it was additionally successfully a value improve for many dates.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland have raised costs twice yearly on a couple of events within the final decade. That’s why we’ve been advising readers to buy tickets upfront to lock-in present costs in our 2024 Low cost Walt Disney World Ticket Shopping for Information and our Low cost Disneyland Ticket Suggestions posts.
Should you’ve learn these posts, you’re probably already conscious that Disney sometimes will increase ticket costs in February and/or October. With only some anomalies like late 2022 and forward of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, this has occurred constantly since 2014. (Previous to that, value will increase sometimes occurred in the summertime.)
In most of these years, Walt Disney World raised ticket costs in February–the final two years of October 11 value will increase are literally much less widespread than early to mid-February value will increase. In any case, one of the best current predictor of a winter improve has been the dearth of a fall value improve.
As famous above, the home Disney Parks’ final main value improve occurred on October 11, 2023. On that date, Disneyland raised charges on 1-day, multi-day, Park Hopper, Annual Move, Genie+ and extra. That was a conventional improve for Disneyland and, as such, we don’t anticipate one other leap in February 2024 for the California parks. This publish issues solely Walt Disney World.
On that very same date, Walt Disney World did elevate charges on APs, parking, water parks, Reminiscence Maker, and numerous eating places. Walt Disney World additionally launched date-based costs for fireworks dessert events and excursions, successfully growing costs for these most dates, too. So it’s not as if WDW merely sat on its fingers–loads of costs went up then in Florida, too!
The query is whether or not this “counts” as a standard value improve. For a lot of of you who’re Annual Passholders, and even those that get pleasure from meals of meals, it’s an apparent and unequivocal sure. Your admission elevated by $30 to $50 per 12 months, as did the stuff you eat and maybe different stuff you do. Not solely that, however Genie+ costs went up all year long, peaking at a brand new excessive of $39 in late December. No formal value improve announcement wanted for that!
Dumb because the query of whether or not final 12 months’s improve “counts” could seem, it’s price asking as a result of often the massive annual value improve targets single and multi-day tickets; that’s the main target, even when it’s irrelevant to you, personally. Not one of the will increase that occurred final fall would preclude one other improve this winter–and it’s additionally attainable for Walt Disney World to extend simply commonplace ticket costs with out touching anything.
It’s additionally not unusual for Walt Disney World to boost menu costs a number of instances per 12 months, so simply because these went up final October doesn’t imply it gained’t occur once more this month. We’ve seen that occur at each the beginning of the fiscal 12 months in October and in the direction of the start of the calendar 12 months (late January or early February) on many events.
In recent times, it’s been taking place as a rule. With the return of the Disney Eating Plan and real-world inflation, increased menu costs wouldn’t be in the least shocking. (If menu costs go up, it makes the DDP appear to be a greater worth, incentivizing extra friends to purchase the 2024 Disney Eating Plan.)
To the purpose about park tickets, the final main value improve on these at Walt Disney World occurred on December 8, 2022. It’s been over a 12 months since they final went up, which is pretty unusual. We’re at present within the anomaly the place WDW ticket costs haven’t gone up in 365+ days. Disney ready till October 2024 would put virtually two years between will increase, which appears unlikely.
Providing ‘forecasts’ about how a lot particular tickets will improve is a idiot’s errand. If Walt Disney World does elevate costs, anticipate them to go up by round 5-10% on common, with some remaining unchanged and others going up by 12-15%.
One prediction we’ll make (once more) is that the beginning value of 1-day tickets will NOT go up. These nonetheless begin at $109–however just for Animal Kingdom–which has been the bottom value because the introduction of the date-based system again in October 2018. Sustaining this $109 beginning value is a crucial speaking level for Disney. When prices of visiting are mentioned within the mainstream media, there’s sometimes a quote from a Disney spokesperson reiterating that the bottom value has not gone up in over 5 years.
That’s technically true, however the sensible actuality is that 95% of tickets truly value extra. That’s, until you might be solely visiting Animal Kingdom for at some point through the low season. Our guess is that 1-day tickets to DAK don’t account for an amazing quantity of ticket gross sales, so the ‘static base value’ speaking level is basically fluff. (It does actually underscore why Animal Kingdom wants growth, although!)
One query is whether or not Annual Move costs will go up once more after simply growing in October 2023. I’d wager in opposition to this, personally. No tiers of Annual Passes for Walt Disney World have offered out since gross sales resumed final 12 months, regardless of Disney warning on day one which they’d probably promote out that day.
Even with the introduction of ‘good-to-go’ days and return of all-day Park Hopping–which Walt Disney World might use to market APs having “extra worth than ever” and thus justifying a value improve (nevermind that these are the partial restoration of issues taken away again in 2020)–I simply don’t see it.
Demand has softened usually, and Walt Disney World will now need/want locals and diehard followers to assist buoy numbers throughout instances that will in any other case be slower. One factor I might see taking place is increased costs for the bottom tier in an try and ‘nudge’ Pixie Mud Passholders to increased tiers. However then once more, Walt Disney World might not wish to lose ‘borderline’ APs, particularly since that tier helps fill the parks through the low season. Additionally, they might’ve finished that final fall however largely opted in opposition to it, so it additionally appears unlikely.
The excellent news is that you may guard in opposition to the attainable will increase on admission. When you’ve got a Walt Disney World journey deliberate between now and December 2024, you should purchase tickets now to lock-in present prices and guard in opposition to future will increase. There’ll virtually definitely be one value improve between now and the top of the 12 months, even when it doesn’t occur till October 2024 for no matter cause.
See our 2023 Low cost Walt Disney World Ticket Shopping for Information for suggestions on the place to purchase to save lots of essentially the most cash. That additionally covers matters like whether or not to buy Park Hoppers, AP breakeven level, and extra.
With that stated, in the event you’re on the fence however planning on shopping for by way of a certified third social gathering ticket vendor, you might be most likely high quality to attend till after the worth improve is introduced/happens. For the previous decade-plus, licensed sellers have maintained stock of the prevailing tickets on the “previous” costs, often for a few weeks after the worth improve. I can’t keep in mind the final time that was not the case, so it’s protected to say it’ll probably occur once more with potential value will increase in February 2024.
Nonetheless, in the event you’re reserving a Walt Disney World trip bundle that features tickets, DO NOT WAIT. E-book one thing ASAP. As soon as these costs go up, there’s no workaround for getting the previous costs. Your solely various could be a room-only fee, and shopping for tickets individually by way of the aforementioned licensed low cost sellers.
The excellent news is that there are already a ton of reductions accessible for now via early Fall 2024. (See All Present Walt Disney World Reductions for 2024.) Trip packages, together with discounted ones, replicate the worth of tickets when initially booked. This implies if ticket costs have been to go up in a single day, you’d pay extra for the Free Eating Deal, tomorrow than you’ll immediately.
This doesn’t simply apply to brand-new bookings…it additionally applies to most modifications. (There are some exceptions to this; including one thing to your bundle–just like the Disney Eating Plan–sometimes will not be thought of a modification that triggers repricing of bundle parts.) However if in case you have a trip bundle booked immediately and ticket costs improve, and also you then apply a retroactive low cost, you’re going to pay the brand new fee for admission.
Through the years, we’ve heard from readers who’ve been stunned that their value is increased with a reduction than with out. That is often why–base costs elevated between the time they made the reservation and the time they utilized the low cost. That’s why it’s finest to each lock-in charges and apply reductions ASAP, every time attainable.
Clearly, it’s not attainable to use reductions to stays in October to December 2024 (apart from bouncebacks), however it’s attainable to at the least ebook one thing now. One good instance could be room-only reductions, which at present run via June/July versus Free Eating, which is on the market via the top of September 2024. Maybe you’re on the fence about which will probably be higher for your loved ones, and are ready for room-only charges for July via September with the intention to correctly examine.
Don’t. At the least, not in the event you’ll additionally have to buy tickets. E-book Free Eating now and cancel/modify if the room-only fee paired with future ticket costs finally ends up being higher. (Or you would do the tough math proper now by wanting again eventually 12 months’s reductions for late summer time/early fall and assuming the chances would be the similar for 2024–they need to be–and making a semi-informed choice on that foundation.)
It’s additionally attainable that Walt Disney World elected in opposition to common park ticket value will increase final 12 months on October 11 for a cause, and the underlying rationale since then is unchanged. On the final 3 earnings calls, Disney CEO Bob Iger has indicated that attendance and lodge occupancy are down at Walt Disney World, because the Florida parks underperform relative to the Parks & Resorts division as an entire.
Disney executives have repeatedly ‘warned’ traders of a slowdown at Walt Disney World because of the finish of revenge journey and conclusion of the fiftieth Anniversary. Walt Disney World did a “nice” job of capitalizing on revenge journey, elevating costs and growing per visitor spending by a whopping 40% as in comparison with 2019.
Consequently, it would possibly be time for the corporate to take its foot off the fuel and pump the brakes on runaway pricing. There’s already the query of whether or not discounting will probably be sufficient to incentivize friends to return, or if irreparable model injury could have been finished over the last decade or so of will increase. We don’t have a solution to that–nobody does–however but much more value will increase definitely can’t assist.
The flip facet of this, although, is that recession fears have principally cooled and the most recent stats from VisitOrlando and MCO Airport recommend that there’s been a slight spike in demand because the begin of 2024. We’re seeing indicators of this in wait instances knowledge and, anecdotally, our experiences on the bottom, however we gained’t know for positive till the following earnings name. Walt Disney World continues to be being fairly aggressive with reductions, together with throughout Spring Break.
Truthfully, I’m not extraordinarily assured that Walt Disney World will elevate costs on common park tickets (or anything) in February 2024. I used to be way more sure concerning the one final October, which did occur however (surprisingly) excluded Walt Disney World tickets. At this level, a rise this winter strikes me as about 50/50.
On the one hand, by no means wager in opposition to Disney elevating costs, particularly when the “annual” improve hasn’t occurred in over a 12 months. Whatever the underlying circumstances or causes for costs not going up, it’s all the time the safer name that they are going to–Disney isn’t shy about being aggressive with pricing.
Then again, there’s most likely inner apprehension concerning the notion of much more value will increase, and likewise the way it’ll negatively influence the already-soft ahead bookings. There’s additionally the truth that virtually all different costs did improve final October and the circumstances aren’t materially totally different now versus then.
One wildcard is the aforementioned Genie+ pricing, which has gone up (successfully) all through the final 12 months with the debut of per-park pricing and simply increased costs usually. Though separate from admission and (arguably) non-obligatory, this paid FastPass service does act as a de facto improve to admission costs, for essentially the most half.
Maybe Walt Disney World is happy with hitting pause on sticker value will increase and hitting friends with increased line-skipping costs. Or maybe they’ll wait till pre-arrival Lightning Lanes debut, and roll collectively the brand new pricing scheme for that and better ticket costs on the similar time. (This may truly make loads of sense, and could be much like the atypical December 2022 value improve.)
One other wild card is that Walt Disney World way back adopted the “Kohl’s Mannequin” to pricing, the place the sticker costs are virtually meaningless as a consequence of reductions. Even through the Nice Recession, Walt Disney World saved elevating costs…whereas additionally ramping up the particular provides.
As Kohl’s discovered ages in the past, if the bottom value is increased, it makes the discounted fee appear to be much more of a discount! So there’s all the time the chance that Walt Disney World gained’t elevate ticket costs much more in Winter 2024, after which improve the chances for bundle reductions sooner or later–successfully performing as an offset and incentivizing extra on-site stays.
Finally, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see what, if something, occurs with costs at Walt Disney World in February 2024. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see whether or not capturing additional income is well worth the headlines that additional cement Walt Disney World as a journey vacation spot with sky-high costs. Even when recession fears have eased, shoppers have gotten extra cost-conscious and fewer free-spending. Accordingly, Disney might wish to again away from its status as being more and more costly.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Lodges Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every thing it’s essential know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the potential value will increase? Suppose Walt Disney World will elevate admission charges in February 2024, or will they hold a pause on pricing in place? If it doesn’t occur this month, suppose it’ll happen with the roll out of pre-arrival Lightning Lanes? Do you suppose Disney goes too far with will increase in a manner that’ll go away lasting reputational injury, or will the corporate be capable to shortly pivot together with financial circumstances? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
